In the study, risks from pollution exposures were reported in units of 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air, and suggests that for every additional unit of pollution that people were exposed to in 1971, the risk of mortality in 2002 to 2009 increases by 2%.

Dr Rebecca Ghosh, co-author of the study said: “Putting this in context, an individual who lived in a higher polluted area in 1971 had a 14% higher risk of dying in 2002 to 2009 than someone who had lived in a lower polluted area. An individual living in a higher polluted area in 2001 also had an increased risk of mortality of 14% compared to someone in a low pollution area.”